Joseph DeRisi (UCSF) Part 1: Malaria: The disease and parasites
This brief set of three lectures gives a very general overview of malaria, the disease and Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most deadly form. Basic research as well as drug development efforts will also be covered in parts two and three of this series. See more at http://www.ibioseminars.org
Why I Work to Stop Malaria
As a young girl in Ghana, Dr. Ofori-Anyinam watched her family get sick from malaria. Today, she is working to develop a malaria vaccine. Watch this video of Dr. Ofori-Anyinam telling her story about what has inspired her work.
Training/Seminar for Medical Technologist: 8th POSTGRADUATE COURSE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE
The 8th Postgraduate Course in Infectious and Tropical Diseases of RITM will highlight the Realities, Insights, Triumphs and Milestones in the practice of infectious diseases. The theme…Realities – presents the local epidemiology of emerging and re-emerging infections and local outbreaks/epidemics of public health concern
Insights – discuss the current and latest discoveries, issues and findings in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of common and emerging infectious diseases
Triumphs – cover successful stories on the control and spread of near elimination of some infectious and tropical diseases
Milestones – highlight significant progress in the development of new vaccines and new antibiotics
The course will cover didactic lectures, case discussions, skill building activities and laboratory sessions.
The Medical Department of RITM hope that the scientific activities will progress successfully and this postgraduate course will achieve its purpose.
Theme: Realities, Insights, Triumphs, & Milestones
in the practice of infectious diseases
When: March 17 – 18, 2011
Where: RITM Auditorium, Training Center
Registration Fees:
Theme: Realities, Insights, Triumphs, & Milestones
in the practice of infectious diseases
When: March 17 – 18, 2011
Where: RITM Auditorium, Training Center
Registration Fees:
PhP 1,500.00 – Early registration (28 February 2011)
PhP 2,000.00 – On-site registration
RITM Accommodations Rate as of MARCH 2010
Airconditioned room:
Single occupancy – PhP 700.00/day
Double occupancy – PhP 900.00/day
Additional bed – PhP 200.00 /day
Non airconditioned room:
Single occupancy – PhP 380.00/day
Double occupancy – PhP 480.00/day
Additional bed – PhP 200.00 /day
(Prices of room accommodations are subject to change without prior notice)
(Prices of room accommodations are subject to change without prior notice)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact:
Ms. Aimee Villablanca / Ms. Nila Morante / Ms. Ajhie Almazan
Medical Department Telefax: (+632) 8079603
RITM trunk lines: (+632) 8072628 to 32 local 801/611MY CHRISTMAS WISH THIS YEAR: A NOKIA C7
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| Nokia C7 Gallery www.nokia.com.ph |
Gone are the days when mobile phones were considered to be a luxury. It became a status symbol in countries including the Philippines where not everybody can afford one. It used to be a simple device that enable you to call other people wherever cellular signal is available. Mobile phones have evolved a lot since then. Literally thousands of different phones have been launched. This piece of technology has become more than its intended purpose.
In the recent years, smart phones emerged and become the new cell phones. They have become very sophisticated and technically advanced. And the demand for smart phones has continually increased because of the convenience it gives in this high-technology dependent age. You can store your contacts, planners and appointments on your phone. You can access your bank accounts and emails through the internet. You can take good quality pictures and even short video clips on some. These are only some of the features that the smart phones can do.
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| Nokia C7 Features www.nokia.com.ph |
For someone like me with a job that requires travelling a lot, having a reliable phone is a must. At first, I thought a simple mobile phone was enough. I was wrong.
Most of the areas that I visit to conduct training and do medical missions are new places to me. It has become my habit to capture photos of the beautiful scenarios and unique things that I only see in each particular area. Pictures are good reservoirs of memories that is why I keep them as part of my journal, documenting all the places I visit.
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| Underground River Boat Ride With My Colleagues |
Going on several short trips require me to pack light. Thus, bringing several devices like camera, laptops, PDA, and mp3 players is not practical. There was this one time when we had a boat ride to the underground river in Palawan, Philippines. Bedazzled by the beauty of this natural wonder, I scrambled looking for my camera to take pictures of the amazing view. When we got to our hotel that night, I searched for my mp3 player only to find out that it was gone. With all the gadgets that I had in my backpack, I realized that it fell off during the boat ride when I grabbed my camera.
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| Roy, Hayds, Jen, She and Elaine |
That’s the good thing about this beautifully crafted Nokia C7, you have all what you need in one gadget. Fit into the palm of your hand. The 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash will suffice your camera need. Photos and videos taken with this smart phone are brilliant with great details and colours and look sharp on the vivid 3.5” high-resolution display.
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| Nokia C7 Features www.nokia.com.ph |
Even with a tight budget, Nokia C7 is great for your basic smart phone needs. Without spending a fortune, the Nokia C7 provides you with amusing features. I can go out of town while staying connected to the office with all the apps that are available to choose from. I can also get live updates from Facebook and Twitter directly on the home screen. I would not mind spending my Christmas bonus this year to own this smart phone.
Do you have this on your Christmas wish list yet? I certainly have this one on mine. In fact, I really want this phone that I sometimes sing its features to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas:
♫ ♪" On the first day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the second day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.♫ ♪
On the third day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
♫ ♪
On the fifth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the sixth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the seventh day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.♫ ♪
On the eighth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
8 MP camera
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the ninth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
9-hour talk time
8MP camera
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.♫ ♪ On the tenth day of Christmas, Nokia sent to me
10 Mbps 3G
9-hour talk time
8 MP camera
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the eleventh day of Christmas Nokia sent to me
Video recording
10 Mbps 3G
9-hour talk time
8 MP camera
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4 oz-phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen.
On the twelfth day of Christmas Nokia sent to me
Full web browsing
Video recording
10 Mbps 3G
9-hour talk time
8 MP camera
Image geotagging
GPS navigation
Apps from Ovi Store
4-oz phone
Three home screens
Dual-LED flash and
A high-resolution touchscreen." ♫ ♪
Preparation of a Blood Smear for Malaria Microscopy
The thick film consists of several layers of red and white blood cells of about 10 to 20 times that of a thin film. The hemoglobin in the red blood cells are dissolved during staining, thus a large amount of blood can be examined quickly and easily. It is in this film also where parasites are counted when present.
A well prepared thin film consists of a single layer of red and white blood cells that is spread over half the slide. The film is fixed with methanol before staining to preserve the morphological characteristics of the cells making specie identification easier when cannot be done in the thick film.
Blood Smear Preparation for Malaria Microscopy
Harbour Square at the CCP Complex
By Jeffrey V. de Guzman
We had the chance to visit this gimmick place along Manila Bay during the conduct of refresher course on malaria microscopy last June 2010. We had a dinner at Dencio’s, one of the food and bar establishments located inside the place. Offering a student meal promo, we chose to eat there so that we can save our dinner allowances that night. But unfortunately, we were not able to avail the said budget meal because the waiter told us that the promo is for students only and we don’t have any student ID to show them. Some of us still tried to convince them that we were students. But we were not successful, may be because of our obvious greying hair and wrinkling face. So we looked and smiled at each other until finally deciding to stay just to show the people inside that we can afford such fine dining.
We all had the chance to browse the menu, and we looked at each other once again. May be you can imagine our reactions. A single meal would cost us one week of our allowance. We laughed and joked about it while inside. We planned to escape one by one but no one dared to initiate. So we just decided to order three dishes for the seven of us, a soup (with extra “sabaw”),” sisig na bangus”, and “kangkong” (which costs a bundle when bought from the market). And we just asked for the service water for our drinks. A big thanks to the rice and “sabaw” for our hunger was satisfied.
Nonetheless, we enjoyed our stay because we were laughing and joking all the time. It was a funny and unforgettable experience of the seven medical technologists who were trying to save but ended up spending more.
NEW CONTRIBUTOR!
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| Image from www.dental.ufl.edu |
First off, I want to thank you for checking my blog and taking your time to read through the articles that have been posted so far. As I try to keep you abreast with the current malaria situation in the Philippines, our blog is not limited only to that scope. This blog is also intended for other research and clinical scientists to share their thoughts and experiences in and out of the laboratory.
With that, I would like to introduce our newest contributor. He is a research scientist in a cellular microbiology laboratory at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute. He also happens to be my youngest brother and shares the same nickname as mine. He graduated with a degree in Public Health from University of the Philippines (UP) Manila and pursued his masters in Medical Science at the Kyungpook National University School of Medicine in South Korea.
Through this blog he wishes to reach out and share his research experiences. Let's all welcome Jeff.
Get to know him more: click here>>>
Through this blog he wishes to reach out and share his research experiences. Let's all welcome Jeff.
Get to know him more: click here>>>
Reagent Strips
By Jeffrey V. de Guzman
Testing methodology consists of dipping the strip completely, but briefly, into a well-mixed urine specimen; removing excess urine by touching the edge of the strip to the container . Even though this is a simple procedure, improper technique can result in errors.
In addition to the use of correct testing technique, performance of quality control and care of reagent strips must be observed in order to guarantee quality patient care. All clinical laboratories must have a quality assurance program in place. Quality assurance program includes procedures for quality control of specimen collection and handling, reagents and test performance, instrument calibration and maintenance, reporting of results, personnel performance and requirements, safety, and documentation that the program is being followed.
Reagent strips must be protected from deterioration caused by moisture, volatile chemicals, heat, and light. Strips are packaged in opaque containers with desiccant, and when not in use, these bottles should be stored tightly closed in a cool area. Bottles should not be opened in the presence of volatile fumes. All bottles are stamped with an expiration date that represents the functional life expectancy of the chemical pads. This date must be honoured even if there is no noticeable deterioration of the reagents.
Unexpired strips should be tested for chemical reactivity with controls of known negative and abnormal concentrations. Distilled water is not recommended for use as a negative control because reagent strip chemical reactions are designed to perform at an ionic concentration consistent with urine. Additional or confirmatory procedures employing different chemical principles must be available for the substances being tested by reagent strip and should be used when questionable results are obtained or, in some instances, to confirm all positive results.
Observing all these procedures in routine urinalysis produces a win win situation between the laboratory and the patients. Our business is to provide a quality health care for our patients. But still, some laboratories do not comply with all these standards. An example of such violations is the cutting of reagent strips into halves.
To quote one of their reason, “We cut urine strips into halves since cut and whole strips will produce equal results, thus minimizing our costs and consequently the charge to our patients”.
I’m sure you are scratching your head right now. And if you happen to be the inspector, what would be your answer to this?
Reference: Susan King Strasinger: Urinalysis and body fluids.F.A. Davis Company, 1997
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Routine chemical examination of the urine has changed dramatically since the early days of urine testing, owing to the development of the reagent strip method for chemical analysis. Reagent strips currently provide a simple, rapid means for performing 10 medically significant chemical analyses, including pH, protein, glucose, ketones, blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrite, leukocytes, and specific gravity.
Testing methodology consists of dipping the strip completely, but briefly, into a well-mixed urine specimen; removing excess urine by touching the edge of the strip to the container . Even though this is a simple procedure, improper technique can result in errors.
In addition to the use of correct testing technique, performance of quality control and care of reagent strips must be observed in order to guarantee quality patient care. All clinical laboratories must have a quality assurance program in place. Quality assurance program includes procedures for quality control of specimen collection and handling, reagents and test performance, instrument calibration and maintenance, reporting of results, personnel performance and requirements, safety, and documentation that the program is being followed.
Reagent strips must be protected from deterioration caused by moisture, volatile chemicals, heat, and light. Strips are packaged in opaque containers with desiccant, and when not in use, these bottles should be stored tightly closed in a cool area. Bottles should not be opened in the presence of volatile fumes. All bottles are stamped with an expiration date that represents the functional life expectancy of the chemical pads. This date must be honoured even if there is no noticeable deterioration of the reagents.
Unexpired strips should be tested for chemical reactivity with controls of known negative and abnormal concentrations. Distilled water is not recommended for use as a negative control because reagent strip chemical reactions are designed to perform at an ionic concentration consistent with urine. Additional or confirmatory procedures employing different chemical principles must be available for the substances being tested by reagent strip and should be used when questionable results are obtained or, in some instances, to confirm all positive results.
Observing all these procedures in routine urinalysis produces a win win situation between the laboratory and the patients. Our business is to provide a quality health care for our patients. But still, some laboratories do not comply with all these standards. An example of such violations is the cutting of reagent strips into halves.
To quote one of their reason, “We cut urine strips into halves since cut and whole strips will produce equal results, thus minimizing our costs and consequently the charge to our patients”.
I’m sure you are scratching your head right now. And if you happen to be the inspector, what would be your answer to this?
Reference: Susan King Strasinger: Urinalysis and body fluids.F.A. Davis Company, 1997
Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance
An overview of the Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance in the Philippines based from the Department of Heath - Malaria Control Program Manual of Procedures.
Presentation prepared by Jocelyn Rosete Pascua
An Overview of the Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance in the Philippines -
Presentation prepared by Jocelyn Rosete Pascua
An Overview of the Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance in the Philippines -
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